W. Kamau Bell is the guy whose gigs require reporting the injustices. He was the host of the short lived FX show, Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, and he recently hosted CNN’s United Shades of America. It’s pretty obvious from those titles that he has a slant, and of course, that is the expectation of his newest album, Semi-Prominent Negro, which came out September 30th. Bell is a black man living in a declining yet tragically white, capitalist world. Through his observations from being a parent of two biracial daughters, the comic has created this uniquely, poignant comedy album.
Bell recorded this album in Brooklyn which is currently publicized for its swift gentrification. Being resourceful, he comments on the burrow’s turnover at the top of his set. He pokes at the imaginary, white Brooklynite who is upset for changes made after two years of residency. The joke turns into a larger statement on the strangeness of nostalgia. It’s a small observation which greatly reflects America’s fondness for what used to be.
As Bell continues, he describes the America he knows. He explains the differences of “West Coast Liberalism vs. East Coast Liberalism.” He touches on the high number of recent difficulties for the black community. He riffs on the understated reaction to Hulk Hogan using the “N” word. With so much going on related to race, Bell directs the Hulk to wait in “The Black Rage Waiting Room,” tagging, “Miley Cyrus, get up.” The comedian continues on to describe other instances where there is suspected rage and where there is real rage. He mentions how his marriage to a white woman has upset “cool, hip, liberal, hashtaggin’ black people.” His counter to this is brilliant, “By having a child with a white person, I have taken another possibility of a white person out of the mix.”
Bell is definitely a family man. This comes as a great strength to his act. Having to raise mixed children provides for relatable observations and demonstrates how applicable his thoughts really are. There’s so much he has to explain to his children in today’s acceptance of gender identity and the disappointment in race relations. It seems like a daunting day-to-day, but as Bell declares, “You can tell kids anything because they don’t know anything.” He supports this with “Four year olds don’t get magic because they don’t know enough to be amazed by magic.” The analogy is great!
This is his ultimate comedic choice. He states a big thought and connects it to something smaller and tangible. He transforms dark, heavy thoughts into hopeful, funny concepts. He simplifies the issues in a way where rhetoric and comedy co-exist. He successfully likens the following: Banning gay marriage to banning mountain climbing, racism and slavery to pizza, and Trump to a “nagging cough which has turn into full blown AIDS.” These are extreme comparisons that Bell makes hilarious and eloquent!
Maybe it’s the family man angle, but Bell is able to talk about very critical issues without being alienating or punishing. He has enough finesse to get into the deep stuff and still get huge laughs. While the album is titled, Semi-Prominent Negro, W. Kamau Bell is one of the most distinguished stand-ups talking about what’s happening now.
Pick up W.Kamau Bell’s Semi-Prominent Negro right here.
